HE ufual length of this animal is three feet three inches, in- THE ufual length of this The head and nose are broad and flat, the neck fhort, and equal in thickness to the head: the body long: the tail broad at the base, tapers off to a point at the end, and is the whole way compreffed horizontally. The eyes are very small, and placed nearer the nose than is ufual in quadrupeds: the ears extremely fhort, and their orifice narrow: the opening of the mouth is fmall, the lips muscular, and capable of being brought very clofe together: the nofe and the corners of the mouth are furnished with very long whiskers; fo that the whole appearance of the otter is fomething terrible it has thirty-fix teeth, fix cutting and two canine above M 2 19. OTTER. DESCRIP. FUR. MANNERS. above and below; of the former the middlemost are the left: it has befides five grinders on each fide in both jaws. The legs are very short, but remarkably ftrong, broad, and mufcular; the joints articulated fo loofely, that the animal is capable of turning them quite back, and bringing them on a line with the body, fo as to perform the office of fins. Each foot is furnished with five toes, connected by strong broad webs, like thofe of water fowl. Thus nature in every article has had attention to the way of life fhe had allotted to an animal, whofe food is fifh; and whofe haunts must neceffarily be about waters. The color of the otter is entirely a deep brown, except two small spots of white on each fide the nofe, and another under the chin. The skin of this animal is very valuable, if killed in the winter; and is greatly used in cold countries for lining cloaths: but in England it is only used for covers for piftol furniture. The best furs of this kind come from the northern part of Europe, and America. Thofe of N. America are larger than the European otters. The Indians make use of their skins for pouches, and ornament them with bits of horn. The finest fort come from the colder parts of that continent: where they are also most numerous. Weftward of Carolina, there are fome found of a white color inclining to yellow. The otter swims and dives with great celerity, and is very deftructive to fish in rivers it is always obferved to fwim against the ftream, to meet its prey. In very hard weather, when its natural fort of food fails, it will kill lambs, fucking pigs, and poultry. It is faid that two otters will in concert hunt that ftrong and active Lawfon's hift. Carol. 119. fifh the falmon. One ftations itself above, the other below the placewhere the fish lies, and continue chafing it inceffantly till the falmon quite wearied becomes their prey. To suppose that they never prey in the fea is a mistake: for they have been often feen in it both swimming and bringing their booty on fhore, which has been obferved in the Orknies to have been cod, and congers. Its flesh is exceffively rank and fishy. The Romish church permits the use of it on maigre-days. In the kitchen of the Carthufian convent near Dijon, we faw one preparing for the dinner of the religious of that rigid order, who, by their rules, are prohibited during their whole lives, the eating of flesh. It fhews great fagacity in forming its habitation: it burrows under ground on the banks of fome river or lake; and always makes the entrance of its hole under water; works upwards to the furface of the earth, and forms before it reaches the top, several bolts, or lodges, that in cafe of high floods, it may have a retreat, for no animal affects lying drier, and there makes a minute orifice for the admiffion of air: it is further obferved, that this animal, the more effectually to conceal its retreat, contrives to make even this little air hole in the middle of fome thick bufh. The otter brings four or five young at a time: as it frequents ponds near gentlemen's houfes, there have been inftances of litters being found in cellars, finks, and other drains. It is obfervable that the male otters never make any noise when taken: but the pregnant females emit a moft fhrill squeal. Sir Robert Sibbald, in his hiftory of Fife, p. 49, mentions a Sea SEA OTTER. Otter, which he fays differs from the common fort, in being larger, and having a rougher coat; but probably it does not differ fpeci fically from the kind that frequents fresh waters. Did not Aristotle place LATAX. place his Latax among the animals which feek their food BEAVER. among fresh waters, we should imagine we had here recovered this loft animal, which he mentions immediately after the otter, and describes as being broader. Though this must remain a doubt, we may with greater confidence fuppofe the fea otter to be the Loup marin of Belon+, which from a hearfay account, he fays, is found on the English coafts. He compares its form to that of a wolf, and says, it feeds rather on fifh than sheep. That circumftance alone makes it probable, Sibbald's animal was intended, it being well known, the otter declines flesh when it can get fish. Little stress ought to be laid on the name, or comparison of it to a wolf; this variety being of a fize fo fuperior to the common, and its hair fo much more fhaggy, a common obferver might readily catch the idea of the more terrible beast, and adapt his comparison to it. Beavers, which are also amphibious animals, were formerly found in Great Britain; but the breed has been extirpated many ages ago: * Τοιαύλα δε εσιν ὁ τε καλεμενος κατωρ, και το σαθέριον και το σατυρίον, και ενύδρις, καὶ ἡ καλεμένη λαλαξ. ετι δε τελο πλατύτερον ενυδρίδος, και οδονίας έχει ιχυρές εξισσα γαρ νυκτωρ πολλακις, τας περί τον πόλαμον κερκίδας εκλεμνει τοις οδκσιον. δάκνει δε τας ανθρωπες και η ενυδρις, και εκ αφίησιν, ως λεγεσι, μέχρις αν οσε ψοφον ακεσή. το δε τρίχωμα ἔχει ἡ λαίαξ σκληρον, και το είδος μεταξύ τε της φωκης τριχωμαίος, και τε της Exap8. Ariftot. Hift. Anim. p. 905. A. Sunt etiam in hoc genere (fc. animalium quadrupedum quæ victum ex lacubus et fluviis petunt) fiber, fatherium, fatyrium, lutris, latax, quæ latior lutre eft, dentefque habet robuftos, quippe quæ noctu plerumque aggrediens, virgulta proxima fuis dentibus, ut ferro præcidat. Lutris etiam hominem mordet, nec defiflit (ut ferunt) nifi fracti offis crepitum fenferit. Lataci pilus durus, Specie inter pilum vituli marini et cervi. + Belon de la Nature des Poifons, p. 28. pl. 29. the |